With the holidays upon us we have a modified class schedule, and there are still plenty of opportunities come get in for a workout. With school closed there is no A+ After School program, but A+ students are welcome to attend any of the available evening classes for their belt rank and age.

Wed 12/23 – normal evening classes

Thu 12/24 – Sun 12/27 – CLOSED – Merry Christmas!

Mon 12/28, Tue 12/29, and Wed 12/30 – normal evening classes (Tuesday is sparring)

Thu 12/31 and Fri 1/1 – CLOSED – Happy New Year!

Sat 1/2 – Open gym only, 9-10:30am – no normal classes, no Super Saturday

Evening class times:
5:00 – Little Kickers
5:30 – White, Gold, Orange, Green, and Purple – Juniors and Adults
6:15 – Blue, Red, and Brown – Juniors and Adults
7:00 – Masters Black Belt Training M and W

Some notes about things going on in December…

Ninja Afternoon
Our last Ninja Night of 2015 will be a Ninja Afternoon on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 1 – 4pm. This is a great opportunity to drop the kids off while you finish your last minute shopping. Since it’s the middle of the afternoon, we won’t be having pizza, but we’ll be doing cookie decorating and crafts, karate games, and a movie. All school age kids are welcome, and the price is the same as previous events — $20 for the first child and $15 for buddies. We still have plenty of room, but it will start to fill up quickly this week.

Our Ninja Events from October, November, and December will benefit the Blessings in a Backpack program, and we’ll be making that donation the week after the Dec 19 event. Thanks to all of you who have participated!

Test Week
Our next colored belt test event will be the week of December 14-18 with graduation for both A+ After School and Evening students on Friday night, Dec 18 at 6pm. Students eligible to test (have all classes and curriculum stripes) will get their permission slips this week, and those need to be returned on or before the first day of testing. Test fee information is at the top of the permission slip. We’ll send a separate email shortly with the schedule for testing and classes for that week.

Clothing Orders
Our orders were placed for the MPK logo gear, and we’ll have them in plenty of time for gift giving. We don’t know who placed orders that will be gifts, so our plan is to hand out the orders to parents only. If you placed an order for another adult and don’t want them to know, please let us know so we don’t give it to that person.

Super Sunday
We’ll have one last Super Sunday for 2015 for Black Belt candidates on Sunday, Dec. 20 from 9:30 – 11am. This is a great opportunity to get some extra training in if you’re on track or make up some Super classes if you’re behind. First Degree Candidates testing in January are encouraged to attend as many Super Saturdays and Super Sundays as possible before testing. Super Saturdays for December are on the 5th and 12th.

Here’s what our schedule looks like for Thanksgiving Week.

• Classes are normal today (Tuesday) for both the A+ After School and evening programs.
• On Wednesday, there is no After School program, and no regular evening classes. Instead, all students have the opportunity to attend open gym from 5-7 pm. This is a great opportunity for each student to spend time focusing on the individual pieces of the curriculum they need to work on. It’s a lot of fun and can be a great work out, but students will need to come with a plan — there are no structured activities, although there will be instructors available for questions and help. If you have a Little Kicker in the program, this is a great chance for you to jump on the mat and work out with your child. Feel free to kick off your shoes and hold pads and papers or read their card and work on curriculum with them.
• We are closed on Thursday and Friday.
• There is another open gym on Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:30 with the same format as Wednesday.

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

As we roll through November, here are a few quick reminders for upcoming events and information:

MPK Logo Gear – The webstore for MPK logo gear is up and accepting orders. Here is the link: https://mpk2015.itemorder.com/ You can order right there online, but if you need help, just see us at the front desk. The store will be closing on November 29, so get your orders in soon. (The webstore says it will be open into December, but that is a misprint.)

Thanksgiving Schedule

• We will be open the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving (November 25). There will not be regular classes, but we will have an open gym from 5 – 7pm for those of you wanting to come and work on your cards. There will be Black Belts available for assistance, but it won’t be a structured class, so come with a plan.
• We will also have an open gym on Saturday, November 28, from 9-10:30am. There will be no Hyper or regular classes that day, but anyone wanting to work with their Nunchucks or card information can come to open gym. Total Fitness Training will be at the normal 8:00 time.

Ninja Night this Friday night is pretty full. We might be able to add a couple more kids, but we’re very close to the maximum. The money we make from Ninja Night will go to benefit Blessing in a Backpack, a great charity operating through the local schools that helps people in need of a meal. Please see us at the desk to check on any available space if you still want to register for Ninja Night.

Food Pantry Collection – Our front window is filling up with food donations — thank you to all who contributed! We’ll be collecting items until this Friday, November 20, so there’s still time if you want to bring something in. If you have a friend who would like to try karate, we’re also running a great special through the end of the week — new students can get a month of karate at no cost if they bring in a bag of groceries.

Super Sunday for Black Belt Candidates will be this Sunday, November 22 from 9:30-11am.

Lost and Found …
<We had a pair of girls’ shoes taken from the shoe rack last week that we’re trying to track down. They are size 2 Sketchers S Sport shoes (pictured), but in pink, purple, and blue. We think someone picked them up mistakenly, so if you find them, please let us know.

We have a large house key on a black lanyard at the front desk if you’re missing one. It was left on the shoe rack last Wednesday or Thursday.

We still have a collection of sweatshirts and jackets that haven’t found their owners. If you think you or your child might have left one, please check the hooks near the front desk and the lost and found bin by the door.

We have a Jawbone and Pedometer that have been here for quite a while.

Still have a pair of wire rim glasses, likely a child’s, that has been here for several weeks.